FAQs

Companies will be focused on consumer-oriented technologies for the “50 and over” market

Companies will have launched their product/service within 24 months of the April 12th, 2017 event date

Companies will not have raised more than $7 million in funding

Officers, directors, and employees (and members of their household and immediate families, i.e., parents, children, spouse, siblings) of AARP, its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising/promotion agencies, and/or their affiliates, assigns or representatives, and all other persons or entities associated with the development, administration, promotion, execution of, supply to or printing of the LivePitch are not eligible to enter.

Entries may be disqualified, at AARP’s sole discretion, for any of the following: (a) entrant’s failure, upon request, to provide AARP with satisfactory proof of eligibility; (b) entrant’s failure to accept or utilize the prize as provided herein; or (c) any other non-compliance, as determined by AARP in its sole discretion, with the Official Rules.

What are the categories?

AARP’s Innovation@50+ event is a two-day pitch competition for emerging startups in the Caregiving Technology and Financial Technology sectors. Finalists will be chosen to pitch before the audience and a panel of judges. Your product should fall in either of these categories.

How many finalists will be named?

Ten Live Pitch finalists will be selected for Caregiving Technology Innovation.
Ten Live Pitch finalists will be selected for Financial Technology Innovation.

How will the on-stage pitch process work?

Live Pitch finalists will each have 3 minutes to pitch, followed by 5 minutes Q&A w/Judges, followed by AARP consumer audience questions and voting. The consumers will vote on which features they liked or disliked about the presenting company.

Key Judging Criteria

The Judges will focus on these five critical elements (judging value of 20% for each element):

Functionality– Is the company’s product easy to use, and does it get the job done?

Potential– What is the company’s business model and likely profitability, size of the market, likelihood of adoption, and growth potential?

Team/People– What experience does the team have, and can they make the product or service a

Creativity/Differentiation -Why would someone use this product and/or service over alternatives?

Scalability- Is this small business not capable of scaling or is it a large business that has a lot of growth potential?

The AARP Consumer voting will focus on these four critical elements(judging value of 25% for each element):

Need– Why should consumers want this product? Does the product/service address a significant unmet or under-met need? Is it unique?

Marketing– How easy is it to get the product?

Usage– Why is the product easy to use?

Value– Why does the value and cost of the product makes it a “must have”? What is the value proposition? Would someone use it and/or refer it to family and friends?

What prize will I receive if I am selected?

Participating companies will receive two (2) complimentary registrations for the AARP Innovation@50+LivePitch. These complimentary registrations must be assigned to specific individuals presenting at the conference.

Additionally, each Live Pitch finalists will have the opportunity to exhibit their product/services at the Startup Showcase at the event.

What if I am not selected as an AARP LivePitch finalist but would still like to attend the show?

If your AARP Innovation@50+ LivePitch submission is NOT accepted, you will receive a special discount code allowing you to register to attend AARP LivePitch.

How are the companies screened?

A committee of experts will screen each application to make sure that they meet all requirements and review each entry to decide which products or services are the most innovative.

How many winners will there be?

Caregiving Technology and Financial Technology will each have two Live Pitch winners will be awarded: a Judges Winner and the AARP Consumer.

Any personally identifiable information collected during an entrant’s participation in the Promotion will be collected by Sponsor and used by Sponsor in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy as such is stated at www.aarp.org/about-aarp/privacy-policy. By accepting a prize, each Prize Recipient agrees to allow Sponsor and/or Sponsor’s designees the perpetual right to use his/her entry, name, biographical information, photos, videos and/or likeness, and statements for promotion, trade, commercial, advertising and publicity purposes, at any time or times, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide, including but not limited to on the World Wide Web and Internet, without notice, review or approval and without additional compensation except where prohibited by law.

*By participating, each entrant releases and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless AARP from and against any and all costs, claims, damages, or any other injury, whether due to negligence or otherwise, to person(s) or property (including, without limitation, death or violation of any personal rights, such as violation of right of publicity/privacy, intellectual property rights, libel, or slander), due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in the LivePitch Event, or arising out of the receipt, use or misuse, or enjoyment of the prize. Void outside of the fifty (50) United States/District of Columbia and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

Apply to Pitch Application Submission is Closed.

“Winning the AARP Consumer Vote at their National Conference Innovation Live Pitch event was without a doubt was one of the biggest growth catalysts behind CareLinx, who now has grown into the leading nationwide professional caregiver marketplace, empowering families to easily find, hire, manage and pay caregivers who match their specific needs and budget online. Participating and wining the AARP consumer vote not only validated to our investors and team that we were building a very valuable product for society but also help give us great credibility throughout the health care industry. Consequently, CareLinx is now operating in over 50 metro areas with over 100,000 care providers with major strategic partners, in large part because of participating and winning the AARP Innovation Live Pitch event.”